Cargo traffic at Latvia’s Free Port of Riga in the first half of 2012 grew by 11.7% compared to the same period last year, to 18,790,800 tons, the Port Authority said.
Coal shipments rose 19.6% to 7.72 million tons, oil products volume was up 1.3% to 4.34 million tons, handling of wood pellets increased by 6.1% to 525,500 tons, shipments of scrap metal grew 9.1% to 321,700 tons. Exports of timber cargo decreased by 15.7% to 1,17 mln tons, half-year volume of ore plummeted by 69.7% to 93,900 tons, handling of building materials fell 70.6 % to 41,100 tons.
In the reporting period, container traffic grew by 26% 178,607 TEUs. Passenger traffic increased by 6% to 371,726 people, including 27,121 tourists carried by cruise ships (+30.7%).
Latvia-based Free Port of Riga lies on both banks of the River Daugava (Western Dvina), The port encompasses 6.348 hectares, including 13,818-meter waterfront with berths max depths of 16 meters (ship draft - 12.2 m). Transit cargoes account for 80 percent of overall freight traffic moved to / from the CIS countries. In 2011, cargo throughput at the Port of Riga rose 11.8 percent year-over-year to 34.07 million tons.